Most companies don’t care if your favorite pop star just shattered your heart. Hiroro Inc. does—and they’ll even pay you to recover.
The Japanese entertainment company has what might be the world’s most unexpectedly relatable HR policy: paid time off when your celebrity obsession gets married, retires or drops big, breaking news. It’s called the Oshi Vacation System, named after the Japanese term for a fan’s favorite pop star.
Under the policy, employees can take up to 10 days of paid leave to grieve their top oshi’s retirement or marriage. Secondary oshi? Still gets you three days. Sudden concert? Leave early. Spiraling emotionally? There’s a form for that.
It sounds like a bit, but it’s not. The policy was born after Hiroro’s president, Tsurumi Shizen, noticed a usually high-performing employee crash emotionally when voice actress Nana Mizuki announced her marriage. Another fell into a funk when his idol retired. Instead of rolling his eyes, Shizen created a policy because, as he put it, “This is absolutely necessary for otaku to work.”
Meanwhile, your job probably won’t let you take an extra five minutes to cry in the break room when Harry Styles gets a new girlfriend.
